Stuffer crimper for textile material

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATES TO APPARATUS FOR STUFFER CRIMPING OF TEXTILE MATERIAL, USUALLY IN THE FORM OF A RELATIVELY COHERENT STRAND OR THE LIKE. IT PROVIDES FOR FLUID COOLING OF THE CONTACTING SURFACES OF AT LEAST THE FEED ROLLS OF STUFFER CRIMPERS, THEREBY ENABLING PREHEATED MATERIAL TO BE STUFFER   CRIMPED WITHOUT LOCALIZED FRICTIONAL HEATING FROM THE STUFFING THEREOF.

Sept.- 21, 1971 R. K. STANLEY STUFFER CRIMPER FOR TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed May 21, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y a Mm F mm m H @m N. ,K we 7 W? 5 C m P 21, 1971 v R. K. STANLEY STUFFER CRIMPER FOR TEXTILE MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1969 l f II w Y my m km F 1 W1 2 A 3x n a \\E..F?....P J E N m United States Patent thee ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to apparatus for stuffer crimping of textile material, usually in the form of a relatively coherent strand or the like. It provides for fluid cooling of the contacting surfaces of at least the feed rolls of stuffer crimpers, thereby enabling preheated material to be stutfer crimped without localized frictional heating from the stufling thereof.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application, Ser. No. 675,919 filed Oct. 17, 1967 and issued as Pat. 3,491,420 on Jan. 27, 1970.

The forcible stuffing of textile material into a chamber wherein it is crimped under compression tends to increase its temperature, and such localized temperature increase may be deleterious to the strand composition or may impair the crimping process or crimped product.

My US. Pat. 3,348,283, the specification of whlch is incorporated herein by reference, describes and illustrates a process and apparatus for stuffer crimping preheated textile strands under adiabatic or constant-temperature conditions. The present invention improves the desired control of temperature or of heat exchange between the strand and its surroundings under such circumstances.

Other objects of this invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various objects will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a schematic repersentation of the stuifer crimping of textile material, with which the present invention is useful;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of apparatus useful according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of associated apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the apparatus of preceding views;

'FIG. 6 is a side elevation of part of the same apparatus, taken at VI-VI on FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front sectional elevation, taken at VII-VII on FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side sectional elevation, taken at VIIIVIII on FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a detail sectional plan, taken at IXIX on FIG. 7.

In general, the object-s of the present invention are accomplished, in a stuffer crimper for textile material, having a stufling chamber with an entrance and an exit and having a pair of nip rolls juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, by conduit means for conducting a cooling fluid into contact with the cylindrical surface of at least one. preferably both, of the feed rolls in the quadrant thereof immediately downstream of the nip.

FIG. 1 shows, schematically, strand 10 unwinding from conical package 11 to pass through guide 12 and successive pairs of rolls 13, 13' and 15, 15 with heater bar 14 for the strand intervening between the respective pairs of rolls. Pair of nip rolls 17, 17' for feeding the strand into Patented Sept. 21, 1971 stuffing chamber 18 following immediately after temperature controller 16, which contains conventional sensing and heating means for ascertaining and, if desired, increasing the strand temperature close to the roll nip. Crimped strand 10 is wound up from the exit of the chamber onto cylindrical package 20 by grooved traversing drive roll 19.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show, in plan and side elevation, respectively, stuifer crimping apparatus according to this invention in more detail than in the preceding view. The strand is shown in FIG. 2 but is omitted from FIG. 3 in the interest of clarity. Stufling chamber 18, shown with rectangular bore 28, and its associated parts are supported by inverted U-frame 22. Axles 27, 27' for feed rolls 17, 17' are journaled in opposite legs of the frame and carry at their opposite end gears 37, 37' in mesh with one another, and axle 27' carries driven pulley 29 also. Drive pulley 33, which is interconnected to the driven pulley by belt 34, is on drive shaft 32 of motor 31 mounted on the frame. Tubes 38, 38 enter the external wall of chamber 18 at the left and right, respectively, above rolls 17, 17. Front and rear flanges 18a, 18b extend downwardly from the bottom of the chamber to cover the adjacent faces of the respective rolls somewhat further than the nip.

FIG. 4 shows schematically means for the supply of cooling fluid via conduit tubes 38, 38', which join at line 39. Housing 41, with which line 39 communicates, is supplied with cooling fluid through tube 42 from pump 43. Gages 44 and 46 in the upstream and downstream portions of line 39, with respect to intervening regulating valve 45, indicate the pressure in housing 41 and in tubes 38, 38', respectively. Inside the housing is bafile 49 (indicated in broken lines) to assist in preventing entry of moisture or contaminants into line 39, and the housing has bleed valves 47, 47 at the bottom. Also indicated in broken lines inside the housing is cooling coil 51, which connects externally to compressor 52, forming part of a conventional heat exchanger not otherwise illustrated.

FIGS. 5 to 9 show on an enlarged scale portions of the apparatus of this invention in the vicinity of the junction of tubes 38, 38' to stufling chamber 18, in successive front elevation, side elevation, front sectional elevation, side sectional elevation, and sectional plan views. Ventilating passages 59, 59', which are conduit extensions formed in the walls of the stutfing chamber, receive coolant fluid through tubes 38, 38' and terminate (open-ended) closely adjacent the outer surfaces of feed rolls 17, 17' downstream from the nip thereof, such termini being within the quadrant immediately downstream and preferably within about sixty degrees thereof. The ventilating passages are only a few degrees wide in the circumferential direction along an acute arcuate portion of the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls and extend the entire width thereof to terminate slightly beyond the edges. The openings of the passageway termini adjacent the cylindrical roll surfaces are substantially rectangular therealong as shown in FIG. 9, and their openings along the flat sidewalls of the rolls extend inward only a minor portion of the radial distance from the cylindrical surfaces. The ventilating passages are lined with suitable heat-insulating material to preclude affecting the temperature of the stufling chamber or the strand therein, which may be controlled as in my aforementioned patent.

Vents 58a, 58a are visible in front flange 18a while like vents 58b, 58b are indicated in rear flange 18B. The vents interconnect to the exterior near the edge of the cylindrical surfaces of the feed rolls, between which the strand is nipped to be stuffed into chamber 18. The respective vents are spaced about one radian of rotation past the roll nip. They are effective to exhaust excess cooling fluid from the ventilating passages and away from the rolls.

It will be understood that any appropriate cooling fluid or coolant may be used, which may be simply cool air or may be carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or other fluTd that is gaseous and dry at the temperature of the strand so that liquid does not collect in the apparatus. The fluid is cooled to desired temperature, as in housing 41, and dried thereby (or otherwise) if necessary, as after having been pumped thereinto from the atmosphere or other suitable source. It then proceeds via line 39, past gages 44 and 46 and valve 45, through tubes 38, 38 into ventilating passages 59, 59 wherein it comes into contact with and cools the cylindrical surfaces and adjacent side edge portions of feed rolls 17, 17, after which it exhausts through vents 58a, 58a, 58b, 58b.

By conventional temperature-sensing means (not shown) the temperature and flow rate of the cooling fluid can be regulated in accordance with a desired strand temperature, such as a temperature to which the strand was preheated for crimping, so that the strand is neither heated nor cooled by contact with the nip rolls stuffing it into the chamber for temporary confinement therein under crimping compression, and possibly under a continuation of the same temperature as prescribed in my aforementioned patent application. Of course, the rolls can be regulated to other temperatures if desired.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, some modifications have been suggested. Additionally, other modifications may be made, as by adding, combining, or subdividing parts or steps or by substituting equivalents, while retaining at least some of the benefits and advantages of the invention, which itself is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a stutfer crimper for textile material, having a stutfing chamber with an entrance and an exit and having a pair of nip rolls juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising means forming a conduit for conducting a cooling fluid into contact with the cylindrical surface of at least one of the feed rolls, the conduit terminating adjacent the roll surface and having at least one vent therein for exhausting cooling fluid from the conduit and away from the rolls.

2. Stufler crimper according to claim 1, wherein the conduit communicates with the cylindrical roll surface over essentially the entire width thereof along a locus parallel to the roll axis.

3. Stutfer crimper according to claim 1, wherein the conduit communicates with the cylindrical roll surface over an acute portion thereof.

4. Stuffer crimper according to claim 1, wherein the conduit communicates with the cylindrical roll surface along a locus within about sixty degrees of roll rotation past the nip.

5. Stuffer crimper according to claim 1, wherein the conduit terminates in a substantially rectangular opening adjacent and communicating with the cylindrical roll surface over essentially the entire strand-feeding width thereof and parallel to the roll axis.

6. Stuffer crimper according to claim 1, wherein the conduit terminates in a substantially rectangular opening adjacent and communicating with the cylindrical roll surface over an acute arcuate portion thereof.

7. In a stuifer crimper for textile material, having a stufling chamber with an entrance and an exit and having a pair of nip rolls juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising means forming a conduit for conducting a cooling fluid into contact with the cylindrical surface and an adjacent portion of at least one flat surface of at least one of the feed rolls.

8. Stuffer crimper according to claim 7, wherein the conduit means is in part integral with the housing of the stufling chamber.

9. Stutfer crimper according to claim 7, wherein the chamber has a flange extending therefrom overlapping flat surfaces of the rolls to at least the nip, and the conduit terminates in the flange and communicates with the surrounding atmosphere as well as with a roll surface.

10. Stuffer crimper according to claim 7, wherein the adjacent flat surface portion adjoins the cylindrical roll surface.

11. In a stuffer crimper for textile material, having a stufiing chamber with an entrance and an exit and having a pair of nip rolls juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising conduit means, bounded in part at a terminus thereof by the cylindrical surface of one of the rolls, for discharging fluid thereonto in the region adjacent the nip of the rolls and the chamber entrance.

12. Stuffer crimper according to claim 11, wherein the conduit means terminates parallel to the nip of the rolls to discharge the fluid perpendicularly toward the cylindrical roll surface.

13. Stuffer crimper according to claim 11, including means for cooling the fluid before being conducted by the conduit means.

14. Stuffer crimper according to claim 13, wherein the fluid cooled by the cooling means and conducted by the conduit means is air supplied from the surrounding atmosphere.

15. In apparatus for compressively crimping textile material, including a stuffing chamber with an entrance and an exit and having feed means juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising heating means for heating the textile material preparatory to being fed by the feed means into the chamber, and cooling means for controlling the temperature of the feed means, and including temperature-sensing means between the heating means and the feed means and nearer the latter means.

16. In apparatus for compressively crimping textile material, including a stuffing chamber with an entrance and exit and having feed means juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising heating means for heating the textile material preparatory to being fed by the feed means into the chamber, and cooling means for controlling the temperature of the feed means, and including auxiliary heating means between the heating means and the feed means and nearer the latter means.

17. In apparatus for compressively crimping textile material, including a stutfing chamber with an entrance and exit and having feed means juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising heating means for heating the textile material preparatory to being fed by the feed means into the chamber, and cooling means for controlling the temperature of the feed means, wherein the cooling means contains at least one conduit for conducting cooling fluid and terminating adjacent the feed means to discharge cooling fluid thereonto, and including drying means for reducing moisture content of the cooling fluid.

18. In apparatus for compressively crimping textile material, including a stufling chamber with an entrance and an exit and having feed means juxtaposed to the chamber entrance to feed thereinto textile material to be crimped, the improvement comprising heating means for heating the textile material preparatory to being fed by the feed means into the chamber, and cooling means for controlling the temperature of the feed means, and including temperature-control means for maintaining the feed means at substantially the same temperature as the heating means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,862,279 12/1958 Fordon et a1. 281.6 3,111,740 11/1963 Stanley 28-1.6

LOUIS K. RIMRODT, Primary Examiner 

